System for handling and dispensing liquid sealant



R. J. COOK June 14, 1966 SYSTEM FOR HANDLING AND DISPENSING LIQUID SEALANT Filed March 12, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 (am are rfar Vac/1am June 14, 1966 R. J. COOK 3,255,788

SYSTEM FOR HANDLING AND DISPENSING LIQUID SEALANT Filed March 12, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l m.- I I /A/l /V7'0,Q Z4 I 600k June 14, 1966 R. J. COOK 3,255,788

SYSTEM FOR HANDLING AND DISPENSING LIQUID SEALANT Filed March 12, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,255,788 SYSTEM FOR HANDLING AND DISPENSING LIQUID SEALANT Ralph J. Cook, Torrance, Calif., assignor to Semco Sales & Service, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Mar. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 439,388

' 18 Claims. (Cl. 14125) This invention relates to an apparatus for filling containers with a fluid material. Although the invention is widely applicable for its purpose, it has special utility for filling dispensing cartridges with a fluid material in the form of a sealant. This particular practice of the invention has been selected for the present disclosure and will provide adequate guidance for those skilled in the art who may have occasion to apply the same principles to other specific purposes.

A sealant of the character to which the invention pertains is commonly placed in a dispensing cartridge having a dispensing port at one end and a movable pistonlike end wall member at the other end which end wall member is forced inward to expel the sealant through the dispensing port. The present invention is directed to the concept of filling such a dispensing cartridge from bulk material on the job where the sealant is required. Such a practice, properly carried out, may be highly economical in comparison to the alternate procedure of packaging the sealant in cartridges in advance and transporting the filled cartridges to the job Where the sealant is to be dispensed.

A basic problem in carrying out this concept is to transfer the fluid sealant material from a bulk supply to individual cartridges in an efiicient and expeditious manner. The operation must be economical in the use of time because the workmen that dispense the sealant from the cartridges are well paid craftsmen.

In many instances a further problem occurs where the sealant is of the type that is cured by exposure to the ambient atmosphere. This problem is to avoid such exposure of the bulk sealant prior to use of the sealant and especially to avoid exposure of the sealant in the course of transferring the sealant from the bulk supply to the cartridges.

The invention solves these problems in large part by providing means to create a vacuum to draw the sealant from a bulk supply into a cartridge. In this regard a feature of the invention is the provision of means to cut off the vacuum automatically to terminate flow of the sealant into the cartridge when the cartridge becomes full. Thus the burden on the Workman is reduced to merely placing an empty cartridge on the apparatus and turning on the vacuum. The craftsman may then walk away and return later at any time to pick up the newly filled cartridge.

The invention takes into consideration the fact that sealantsv vary widely in viscosity. It is feasible to transfer a sealant of low viscosity into a cartridge through a relatively small dispensing port of the cartridge; on the other hand, however, a highly viscous sealant is best introduced through thelarger base end of the cartridge, the pistonlike end wall of the cartridge being temporarily removed for this purpose. Accordingly, the invention provides an automatic air valve for controlling communication between a cartridge and the vacuum source, which valve may be readily adapted for filling a cartridge either through the relatively small dispensing port of the cartridge or through the relatively large base end of the cartridge.

A further feature of the invention is the concept of an overall system for the dual purpose of filling cartridges with sealant and of dispensing the sealant from the car- 3,255,788 Patented June 14, 1966 tridges. A novel concept in this regard is the use of an air compressor both for filling cartridges and for dispensing sealant from the cartridges. The intake port of the compressor is connected to the above mentioned automatic air valve to create a vacuum therein for the purpose of drawing sealant into a cartridge. The filled cartridge is then placed in a conventional dispensing gun and the output port of the compressor is connected to the gun to provide power for dispensing sealant from the cartridge.

The features and advantages of the invention may be understood from the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, which are to be regarded as merely illustrative FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view, partly in section, illustrating one embodiment of a system for handling sealant on the job;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the floating cover for the supply container shown in FIG. 1, the dispensing port of the cover being closed by a removable cap;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of an automatic air valve that is employed in the system, the air valve being shown connected to the dispensing port of a cartridge with the vacuum cutoff;

FIG. 4 is a similar view with the vacuum turned on;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a U-shaped permanent magnet that is employed in the automatic air valve;

FIG. 6 is a sectional View of the automatic air valve mounted in a special housing assembly for the purpose of a second practice of the invention, the housing assembly being adapted for longitudinal contraction;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing how an empty cartridge may be mounted on the housing assembly shown in FIG. 6 and the housing assembly may be manually contracted by means of the cartridge for the purpose of resetting the automatic air valve;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG, 7 showing the automatic air valve set and ready for a cartridge-filling operation; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view partly schematic showing how the cartridge in FIG. 8 is connected to a supply quantity of the sealant and further showing how the filling operation is terminated by abutment of the piston-like end wall of the cartridge against a sensing member of the automatic air valve.

FIG. 1 shows the components of a system for handling a highly viscous paste-like sealant, the handling of the sealant including an operation for transferring the sealant from a supply body 19 in a bulk container 12 to a dispensing cartridge 14 and also including the operation of dispensing the sealant from the cartridge 14 by means of a dispensing gun 15 of well known construction.

The dispensing cartridge 14 is of a well known construction, being made of a suitable plastic, and, as shown in FIG. 3 has a tapered neck 16 with a rim bead 18, the neck forming a screw threaded dispensing port 20. When the cartridge 14 is employed to dispense the sealant, a suitable dispensing nozzle 22 (FIG. 1) is screwed into the dispensing port 20.

The opposite end of the shell of the dispensing cartridge 14 is open and, in the manner shown in FIG. 9, the open end of the cartridge shell is intended to be closed by an end wall member in the form of a piston 24 that is slidable in the cartridge. The piston 24 may also be made of a suitable plastic and is of thin-walled construction with a forwardly directed circumferential sealing lip 25.

The dispensing gun 15 has a barrel 26 to receive the dispensing cartridge 14 and the front end of the barrel has an opening to permit the dispensing nozzle 22 of the cartridge to extend forward from the barrel. The dispensing gun has a handle 28 in the form of a pistol grip and has a trigger 30 which is operable to permit compressed air from a supply hose 32 to act against the piston-like end wall 24 of the cartridge to shift the end wall towards the dispensing port of the cartridge thereby to dispense sealant through the dispensing nozzle 22.

To carry out the two operations of filling the cartridge 14 and of dispensing sealant from the cartridge, the system shown in FIG. 1 includes a compressor 34 which incorporates a prime mover such as an electric motor (not shown) and incorporates the usual pump (not shown). The compressor has an air intake port provided by a fitting 35 that is adapted for connection to an air intake hose 36. The compressor is further equipped with an output port for compressed air, which port is provided by a fitting 38 that is adapted for connection to the supply hose 32.

In the particular system shown in FIG. 1 the bulk container 12 is of uniform diameter and has an open top which is normally closed by a cover in the form of a disk 40 that is dimensioned for sliding fit inside the container. The cover disk 40 may be provided with a pair of foldable handles 42. The container 12 is provided with a suitable outlet opening and this opening is preferably, but not necessarily, located in the cover disk 40. Thus the cover disk 40 has an outlet opening 44 which is surrounded by a cylindrical flange 45 that is dimensioned to telescope into the base end of a cartridge 14 as shown in FIG. 1. When the outlet opening 44 is not in use it closes by a cap 46 as shown in FIG. 2. When the outlet 44 is not in use, the cap 46 may be placed to one side on top of the cover disk 40 as shown in FIG. 1.

The system shown in FIG. 1 further includes an air valve, generally designated 50 which has an air outlet port adapted for connection to the previously mentioned intake hose 36. To carry out the operation of transtferring sealant from the bulk container to a dispensing cartridge 14, the end wall or piston member 24 is removed from the cartridge; the cartridge is telescoped at its base end over the cylindrical flange 45 of the cover disk 40; and the air valve 50 is mounted on the neck 16 of the cartridge as shown in FIG. 3.

With the air valve 50 connected to the compressor by the hose 36 and with the compressor in operation, the air valve is employed to create a vacuum inside the shell of the dispensing cartridge 14 thereby to cause sealant from the supply body 10 to flow upward through the outlet opening 44 of the cover disk 40 into the interior of the cartridge. When the paste-like sealant reaches the air valve 50, the air valve responds by placing the interior of the cartridge in communication with the atmosphere to terminate the pressure differential that transfers the material.

It is to be noted that since the area of the cover disk 40 is many times the area of the outlet opening 44 in the cover disk, the cover disk is capable of exerting a force of high magnitude against the upper face of the supply body 10 to cause the sealant to be moved promptly into the dispensing cartridge. Thus a vacuum in the dispensing cartridge 14 tends to lower correspondingly the interior pressure of the whole supply body 10 and the resulting differential between atmospheric pressure and the reduced pressure inside the bulk container is effective over the whole area of the cover disk less the area of the outlet opening 44.

At the end of the described operation for transferring sealant from the supply body 10 to the interior of the cartridge 14, a small void exists in the cartridge near the dispensing port of the cartridge and when the cartridge is lifted free from the cylindrical flange 45 of the cover disk 40, a larger void exists at the base end of the cartridge. The piston member or piston-like end wall 24 is then installed in the base end of the cartridge and this installation results in disappearance of both of the voids. To release air trapped in the base end of the cartridge by the piston-like end wall 24, the cartridge 7 shell may be deformed slightly by manual compression across the diameter of the shell to form a temporary vent passage for escape of the trapped air. It is apparent that since the total volume of the two voids in the cartridge is determined by the axial dimension of the cylindrical flange of the cover disk, this axial dimension is selected to result in the total volume of the two voids being of a magnitude that will be eliminated by the installation of the piston member 24.

The automatic air valve may be of the construction shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein the body of the valve comprises three members, namely, a metal block 52 of circular configuration, a U-shaped permanent magnet 54 of circular configuration having two poles 55, and a cylindrical member 56 which encloses the permanent magnet and which telescopes over a portion of the metal block 52. The open end of the cylindrical member 56 has a tapered circumferential surface 58 to receive and embrace the tapered neck 16 of a plastic cartridge 14 and is further formed with an inner cylindrical surface 60 to embrace the rim bead 18 0f the cartridge in a sealing manner. In addition, the cylindrical member 56 is formed with an inner circumferential shoulder 62 to abut the rim of the neck 16 as a stop. It is apparent that it is a simple matter to mount the automatic air valve 50 on the cartridge 14 by simply telescoping the lower end of the valve onto the neck of the cartridge as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The automatic air valve 50 has a longitudinal passage therethrough from end to end which includes: an axial bore 64 in the metal block 52; a counterbore 65 at the outer end of the metal block; a second counterbore 66 at the inner end of the metal block; an axial bore 68 through the permanent magnet 54; a U-shaped transverse slot 70 formed by the two poles 55 of the permanent magnet; and a relatively large axial bore 72 in the lower end of the cylindrical member 56. In addition, the automatic air valve 50 has a radial passage provided by a radial bore 74 in the metal block 52 which is threaded to receive a fitting 75 for connection to the hose 36.

The upper end of the longitudinal passage through the air valve 50 in the region of the counterbore 65 serves as a vent port to admit atmospheric air into the interior of the valve; the radial bore 74 serves as an outlet port through which air may be exhausted to the hose 36; and the lower end of the longitudinal passage in the region of the relatively large bore 72 serves as an inlet port through which air may be exhausted from the interior of a cartridge 14 to cause sealant to flow into the cartridge.

The valve construction shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 further includes a tubular valve member 76 of nonmagnetic material such as aluminum which functions as a sleeve valve in cooperation with the axial bore 64 and which protrudes from both ends of the valve body. The sleeve valve member 76 controls venting of air from the interior of the valve to the atmosphere and for this purpose has an upper radial port 78 in the general region of the upper counter bore 65 and has a lower radial port 80 in the region of the lower end of the permanent magnet 54.

When the sleeve valve member 76 is in its elevated vent-opening position shown in FIG. 3, air from the atmosphere may flow freely through the valve body to the outlet port and the hose 36 connected thereto along the following path: upper counterbore 65, upper radial port 78, the axial passage 82 through the valve member 76, lower radial port 80, the axial bore 68 in the permanent magnet 54, the counterbore 66 in the lower end of the metal block 52, and the radial bore 74. Under such conditions the interior of the automatic air valve is vented to the atmosphere to prevent the formation of a vacuum in the air valve. When'the valve member 76 is in the lower vent-closing position shown in FIG. 4, vent flow of air from the atmosphere is cut off because the upper radial port 78 is now in the'bore 64 of the metal body 52 and the sleeve valve member fits snugly in the bore.

The upper end of the sleeve valve member 76 is closed by a knurled knob 84 which is adapted to abut the upper end of the valve body, as shown in FIG. 4, to serve as a stop to limit the downward movement of the sleeve valve member at its vent-closing position. The lower end of the sleeve valve member 76 is closed by an enlargement in the form of a plastic body 85 which is positioned to extend into the interior of a cartridge 14 into the path of inflow of the sealant for abutment by the flowing sealant to raise the sleeve valve member to its vent-opening position for automatically terminating the filling operation. It is to be noted that the downward movement of the sleeve valve member 76 to its vent-closing position is limited by abutment of the knob 84 against the upper end of the valve body.

For cooperation with the permanent magnet 54, the sleeve valve member 76 carries an armature 86of ferromagnetic material in the form of a disk having an integral collar 88, the armature being anchored to the valve member by a cross pin 90. It is to be noted that the armature 86 is of lesser diameter than the surrounding passage through the air valve body to provide liberal clearance for air flow past the armature.

Normally the sleeve valve member 76 is in the upper vent-opening position shown in FIG. 3 at which the radial port 7 8 in the sleeve valve member registers with the counterbore 65 to admit atmospheric air into the interior of the automatic air valve. The sleeve valve member 76 is yieldingly held in this normal upper position by the attraction of the permanent magnet 54 for the armature 86, the armature being yieldingly held in abutment with the two poles of the permanent magnet. It is apparent that the armature and the permanent magnet serve as stop means to determine the upper limit position of the sleeve valve member.

As long as the sleeve valve member 76 is in the normal upper vent-opening position shown in FIG. 3 with the compressor 54 in operation, no vacuum is created inside the automatic air valve because air may flow freely from the atmosphere through the radial port 78 of the sleeve valve member to the intake hose 36 along the previously described path. Assuming that the automatic air valve 50 with the sleeve valve member 76 in its vent-opening position is mounted on a cartridge 14 as shown in FIG. 1 with the compressor 34 in operation, the sleeve valve member may be shifted to its alternate lower vent-opening position shown in FIG. 4 by manual pressure against the knob 84, but the sleeve valve member will not stay in its lower closed position unless it is manually held in its closed position long enough for an appreciable vacuum to build up inside the automatic air valve and inside the cartridge. If the sleeve valve member 76 is held in its closed position only momentarily the magnetic force effective between the permanent magnet and the armature will cause the valve member to return promptly to its upper vent-opening position. When the sleeve valve member is held in its lower vent-closing position long enough for a vacuum to develop, however, the consequent pressure differential that exists across the length of the sleeve valve member 76 is sutficient to dominate the magnetic force and thus hold the sleeve valve member in its lower vent-closing position.

It is to be noted, however, that thedominance of the vacuum-created pressure differential over the magnetic force is only slight. Thus when a vacuum draws sealant from the supply body upward into the cartridge 14, eventually the rising sealant makes contact with the plastic body 85, on the lower end of the sleeve valve member 76 promptly to its upper vent opening position to destroy the.

vacuum and thus terminate the upward flow of the sealant.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that an operator may initiate the operation of filling a cartridge by simply placing the shell of the cartridge over the cylindrical flange 45 of the cover disk 40 as shown in FIG. 1, mounting the automatic air valve 50 on the neck of the cartridge and, with the compressor 34 in operation, simply depressing the knob 84 and holding it down long enough for an eflective'vacuum to be created inside the air valve and cartridge. Without giving any further attention to the filling operation, the operator may then pick up the gun 15 and dispense sealant from the cartridge in the gun. Thus the compressor 34 may operate to fill one cartridge with sealant and simultaneously to dispense sealant from a second cartridge. When the cartridge in the gun is completely emptied and is then removed from the gun, the operator takes the filled cartridgefrorn the cover disk 40, places a dispensing nozzle 22 on the cartridge and then installs the piston member 24. Installing the piston member 24 closes the open end of the cartridge and also eliminates voids in the cartridge being displaced towards the dispensing nozzle 22 to eliminate the void at that end of the cartridge. If desired, an operator may dispense sealant all day long with only two cartridges, each cartridge being repeatedly emptied and filled. Such a procedure would necessitate withdrawing a piston member 24 from a cartridge each time the cartridge is emptied. This addition- 211 task may be eliminated simply by providing a supply of the cartridges 14 which may be discarded when they are emptied.

The first practice of the invention described to this point is applicable to a sealant of sufficiently high viscosity to exert operating force on the plastic body 85 of the sleeve valve member '76. The second practice of the invention, now to be described, is applicable to sealants of relatively low viscosity that are incapable of exerting operating force on the valve member. Fortuitously, such a sealant that is of low viscosity will flow freely through a flexible hose into the dispensing port 20 of a cartridge 14.

To carry out the second practice of the invention, the automatic air valve 50 is mounted in upsidedown position in a housing assembly, generally designated 100, that is adapted for longitudinal extension and contraction and accordingly is made in two sections that are slidingly telescoped together. In the construction shown the housing assembly comprises a base 104 that rests on a floor or other horizontal support surface and a hood 105 that is slidingly mounted on the base, the hood being adapted to carry the automatic air valve 50.

The base 104 is formed with an upwardly extending cylindrical skirt 106 which has a pair of diametrically opposite longitudinal slots 108 that are open at their upper ends. In addition the cylindrical skirt 106 has a short longitudinal slot 110 which receives a lug 112 carried by the hood 105 to limit longitudinal extension of the housing assembly, the lug 112 being the reduced inner end of a screw 114 in the cylindrical wall of the hood. A suitable coil spring 115 acts in compression between the upper end of the cylindrical skirt 106 and an inner radial shoulder 116 of the hood 105 to exert continuous separation torce between the base and the hood. Thus the housing assembly is normally in its longitudinally expanded state shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 9 with the lug 112 at the upper end of the slot 110.

The upper end of the hood 105 is formed with a relatively large circular opening 118 that is dimensioned to embrace the automatic air valve 50 in a snug manner, the circular opening being formed with an inner circumfer ential groove in which is mounted an O-ring 120 to serve as a seal. For releasable anchorage of the automatic air valve 50 in the hood 105, a suitable knurled thumb screw 122 may be mounted in a radial bore of the hood for releasable engagement with the automatic air valve 50 as shown. On the exterior of the hood 105 its upper end is reduced in diameter to provide a cylindrical end portion 124 of a dimension to telescope snugly into the open end of a cartridge 14 and to further provide an outer radial shoulder 125 to serve as a rest or abutment for the base end of the cartridge.

The hood 105 is further formed with a diametrically opposite pair of relatively wide longitudinal slots 126 that are open at their lower ends. The two longitudinal slots 126 of the hood 105 are in alignment with the two longitudinal slots 108 of the base 104 so that the two pairs of slots cooperate to form two diametrically op posite longitudinal windows in the housing assembly, which windows clear the hose fitting 75 and extend and contract with the housing assembly. The sliding engagement of the lug 112 with the narrow slot 110 prevents relative rotation between the hood 105 and the base 104 and thus keeps the longitudinal slots 126 of the hood in alignment with the longitudinal slots 108 of the base at all times.

The two windows 128 make it possible to observe the knurled knob 84 and thus makes it possible to ascertain the position of the valve member 76 at a glance. In addition, the two windows 128 make the knurled knob 84 accessible for manipulation if any need for such manipulation arises under abnormal conditions.

The purpose of making the housing assembly 100 longitudinally extensible and contractible is to make it possible to shift the sleeve valve member 76 from its normal vent-opening position to its vent-closing position by simply contracting the housing assembly by manual force. Thus applying manual force to the housing assembly 100 from its longitudinally expanded state shown in FIG. 6 to its contracted state shown in FIG. 7 results in upward displacement of the knurled knob 84 relative to the valve body to shift the sleeve valve member 76 from its normal vent-opening position to its vent-closing position. When the manual force is removed, the spring 115 restores the housing assembly to the expanded state.

As indicated in FIG. 9, the overall system for carrying out the second practice of the invention includes the previously described compressor 34 and the usual dispensing gun connected to the output port of the compressor by the usual supply hose 32, the automatic air valve 50 being connected to the intake port of the compressor in the usual manner by the intake hose 36. The additional equipment for carrying out the second practice of the invention comprises simply what may be termed a suction hose 130 which is adapted at one end to draw a low viscosity sealant from a supply body 132 in an open container 138 and is adapted at its other end for connection to the dispensing port of a cartridge 14.

The intake end of the suction hose 130 may be connected to a weight 140 that is adapted to rest on the bottom of the container 138, the weight having a relatively large transverse recess 142 on its underside that is in communication with the suction hose. Preferably the other end of the suction hose that makes connection with a cartridge 14 is provided with a male fitting 144 that telescopes snugly into the dispensing port 20 of the cartridge. The male fitting 144 incorporates a check valve comprising a ball 145 under the pressure of a spring 146, the check valve normally closing the end of the suction hose to avoid exposure of the content of the suction hose to the atmosphere when the suction hose is not connected to a cartridge.

With the compressor 34 in operation, the second practice of the invention may be carried out by forcing the piston member 24 of an empty cartridge 14 to the position shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 where the piston member is adjacent to the dispensing port 20 of the cartridge. With the inlet end of the suction hose 130 immersed in the supply body 132 in the open container 138, the male fitting 144 on the other end of the suction hose is in- 8 serted into the dispensing port 20 in the neck 16 of the cartridge 14.

To initiate the filling operation, the cartridge 14 is manipulated to contract the housing assembly from the extended position position shown in FIG. 8 to the contracted position shown in FIG. 7 with the consequence that the knurled knob 84 is forced against the base 104 to cause retraction of the knob and shift of the sleeve valve member 76 from its normal vent-opening position to its vent-closing position. The housing assembly 100 is held manually in its contracted state long enough for a vacuum to build up in the interior of the air valve 50 and the cartridge 14 to create suflicient pressure differential across the length of the sleeve valve member 76 to cause the sleeve valve member 76 to remain in its closed position.

The consequent development of a vacuum inside the cartridge 14 sets up a pressure differential along the length of the suction hose 130, which pressure differential causes the low viscosity sealant to flow through the suction hose and past the valve ball into the interior of the cartridge to displace the piston member 24 progressively downward towards the base end of the cartridge. Eventually the downwardly moving piston member 14 encounters the plastic body 85 on the end of the sleeve valve member 76 and displaces the sleeve valve member downward to its vent-opening position, as shown in FIG. 9, to destroy the vacuum and thus terminate the pressure differential along the length of the suction hose to terminate flow of the sealant through the suction hose. The male fitting 144 of the suction hose is then withdrawn from the neck of the cartridge and is replaced by a dispensing nozzle 22. The cartridge is then ready for use in the dispensing gun 15.

It is apparent that the filling operation may be carried out while the gun 15 is in use to dispense sealant. Thus, as in the first practice of the invention, one cartridge 14 may be in the process of being filled while a second cartridge in the gun 15 is being used to dispense sealant.

My description in specific detail of the preferred practices of the invention will suggest various changes, substitutions and other departures from my disclosure within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for attachment to a vacuum pump to create a vacuum in a receptacle, for example a dispensing cartridge, to force fluid material from a supply into the receptacle, the combination of:

a valve body-having a vent port communicating with the atmosphere, an outlet port for connection to a vacuum source, and an inlet port for connection with the receptacle for communication with the interior of the receptacle;

a valve member in the valve body movable to a normal first position to open the vent port and a second position to close the vent port,

said valve member having a first end exposed to the atmosphere and a second end extending through the inlet port; and

means to apply a predetermined force to the valve member to bias the valve member towards its first position whereby a vacuum in the receptacle may create a pressure differential across the valve member of suflicient magnitude to overcome said force to urge the valve member towards its second position,

said second end of the valve member being positioned to extend into the interior of the receptacle into the path of inflow of the fluid material from the supply into the receptacle when the inlet port of the valve body is connected to the receptacle,

whereby inflow of the fluid material into the receptacle to the region of the second end of the valve member forces the valve member from its second position to its first position in opposition to the pressure differential thereby to terminate the vacuum in the receptacle to terminate the flow of fiuid material into the receptacle. 2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the means to apply a bias force is a magnetic means.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 2 in which the magnetic means comprises a permanent magnet fixed relative to one of said valve body and said valve member and a cooperative armature fixed relative to the other of said valve body and said valve member.

4. In a device for attachment to a vacuum pump to create a vacuum in a receptacle, for example a dispensing cartridge to force fluid material from a supply into the receptacle, the combination of:

a valve body having a longitudinal passage therethrough forming at one end a vent port to the atmosphere and at the other end an inlet port for connection to the receptacle, said valve body having a lateral passage communicating with the longitudinal passage and forming an outlet port in communication with the inlet port;

a valve member slidingly mounted in the longitudinal passage and movable axially towards the inlet port from a first open position to admit air from the vent port to the inlet port to a second closed position to cut all the vent port,

said valve member extending through the inlet port in a position to lie in the path of inflow of the fluid material into the receptacle when the inlet port is connected to the receptacle,

whereby when 'a vacuum exists in the receptacle with the inlet port of the valve body connected to the receptacle to urge the valve member towards its second position and whereby the infiowing material moves the valve member from its second closed position to its first open position when a predetermined amount of the fluid material enters the receptacle; and means to exert a force less-than the force of the pressure differential to urge the valve member towards its first open position whereby the valve member normally seeks its first open position but remains in its second closed position if it is in the second closed position while a vacuum exists in the receptacle. '5. A combination as set forth in claim 4 in which the valve member is tubular to provide communication thereth-rough from the vent port and has a radial port to cooperate with the longitudinal passage for valve action to open and close the vent port.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 4 in which the means to exert a force to urge the valve member towards its first open position includes a permanent magnet fixed relative to one of said valve body and said valve member and a cooperative armature fixed relative to the other of said valve body and said valve member.

7. In an apparatus to fill a dispensing cartridge, with viscous material wherein the cartridge has openings at its opposite ends, the combination of:

a supply container for the viscous material, the supply container having an outlet port to engage the cartridge at one of the two openings of the cartridge to support the cartridge with the cartridge in flow communication with the container through said one of its two openings, said container having a movable wall for contraction in volume of the container to compensate for removal of material from the container;

a vacuum source; and

a valve to connect the vacuum source to the other opening of the cartridge to create a vacuum in the receptacle to draw viscous material from the supply container into the cartridge through said one opening of the cartridge,

said valve having a sensor to extend into said one opening of the cartridge to sense the how of viscous materi-al into the cartridge and being responsive to the sensor to cut off the vacuum source in response to the introduction of a predetermined quantity of the viscous material into the cartridge.

8. In an apparatus for dispensing a viscous material from a supply body, the combination of:

a cartridge shell open at one end and having a dispensing port at the other end;

a container for the supply body having an outlet port for releasable engagement with the open end of the shell;

an air compressor having an inlet port and an outlet port;

a valve for connection to the dispensing port of the shell and the inlet port of the compressor to place the inlet port of the compressor in communication with the shell to create a vacuum in the shell to draw viscous material from the container into the shell,

said valve being responsive to how of the viscous material into the shell to cut off the communication with the inlet port of the compressor when a predetermined quantity of the viscous material enters the shell;

a piston member for sliding fit in the shell to close the open end of the shell; and

a dispensing gun to carry the shell with the piston member therein, said dispensing gun being adapted for connection with the outlet port of the compressor to receive compressed air therefrom to advance the piston member to displace the viscous material in the shell through the dispensing port of the shell.

9. In an apparatus for dispensing a fluid material from a supply body, the combination of:

a cartridge shell open at one end and having a dispensing port at the other end;

a piston member to close the open end of the'shell, said piston member being slidable in the shell from an initial position near the dispensing outlet of the shell to a subsequent position near the open end of the shell;

a container for the supply body;

passage means for conveyance of the fluid material from the container to the shell and adapted tor releasable connection with the dispensing port of the shell;

an air compressor having an inlet port and an outlet port;

means for connection both with the inlet port of the compressor and the open end of the shell to place the inlet port in communication with the shell to create a vacuum in the shell thereby to create a pressure differential across the passage means to force material from said supply body through the passage means into the shell to displace the piston member from its initial position to its subsequent position; and

a dispensing gun to carry the shell with the piston member therein, said dispensing gun having a port for connection with the outlet port of the compressor to receive compressed air therefrom to advance the piston member to displace the viscous material in the shell through the dispensing port of the shell.

10. A combination as set forth in claim 9 in which the passage means includes a valve to cut off the passage means, said valve being operative in response to movement of the piston member to the subsequent position.

11. A combination as set forth in claim 10 in which the valve has a sensor extendible into the path of the piston member for retraction thereby; and

in which the valve is operative in response to the retraction of the sensor.

12. In an apparatus for handling a fluid material, the

I combination of a container to hold-a supply body of fluid material;

a dispensing cartridge shell open at one end and having a dispensing port at the other end;

a piston member to close the open end of the shell, said piston member being slidable in the shell from an initial position near the dispensing outlet of the shell to a subsequent position near the open end of the shell;

passage means to releasably connect with the dipsensing port of the shell to convey the fluid material from the container to the shell;

a combined vacuum source and compressor; and

means to connect both to the inlet port of the compressor and to the open end of the shell to place the inlet port in communication with the shell to create a vacuum in the shell thereby to create a pressure differential across the passage means to force material from the supply body through the passage means into the shell to displace the piston member from its initial position to its subsequent position; and

a dispensing gun to carry the shell with the piston member therein, said dispensing gun being adapted for connection with the outlet port of the compressor to receive compressed air therefrom to advance the piston member to displace the viscous material in the shell through the dispensing port of the shell.

13. A combination as set forth in claim 12 in which the passage means is a flexible conduit; and

which includes a weight on the intake end of the flexible conduit to keep the intake end of the flexible conduit immersed in the container adjacent the bottom of the container.

14. A combination as set forth in claim 12 in which said valve has a sensor extendible into the path of the piston member for retraction thereby; and

in which the valve is operative in response to the retraction of the sensor.

15. In an apparatus to fill a dispensing cartridge with a fluid material from a supply body of the material, which cartridge has a cylindrical shell open at one end and is formed with a dispensing port at the other end, and in which a piston member to close the open end of the cartridge is slidable in the cartridge from an initial position near the dispensing port to a subsequent position near the open end of the shell, the combination of:

passage means to place the dispensing port of the cartridge shell in flow communication with the supply body;

a valve body having a vent for communicating with the atmosphere, an outlet port for connection to a vacuum source, and an inlet port for connection with the open end of the cartridge shell;

a valve member in said valve body movable to a normal first position to open the vent port and a second position to close the vent port, the valve member having a first end exposed to the atmosphere and a second end extending through the inlet port;

means to apply a predetermined force to the valve member to bias it towards first position,

whereby a vacuum of a predetermined degree in the receptacle may create a pressure differential sufficient to overcome said force to urge the valve member towards its second position,

said second end of the valve member being positioned to extend into the interior of the receptacle into the path of movement of the piston member from its initial position to its subsequent position whereby movement of the piston member to its subsequent position forces the valve member from its second position to its first position in opposition to the pressure differential thereby to terminate the vacuum in the receptacle to terminate the flow of fluid material into the receptacle; and

support means to hold the valve body elevated with the first end of the valve member uppermost, said support means being vertically contractible to lower the valve body to cause impact against the second end of the valve member to shift the valve member from its first position to its second position.

16. A combination as set forth in claim 15 in which the support means is made in two sections in sliding engagement with each other; and

in which spring means acts between the two sections to urge extension of the support means.

17. In an apparatus to fill a dispensing cartridge with a fluid material from a supply body of the material, which cartridge has a cylindrical shell open at one end and is formed with a dispensing port at the other end, and in which a piston member to close the open end of the cartridge is slidable in the cartridge from an initial position near the dispensing port to a subsequent position near the open end of the shell, the combination of:

passage means to place the dispensing port of the cartridge shell in flow communication with the supply body; 1

a valve body having a longitudinal passage therethrough forming at one end a vent port to the atmosphere and at the other end an inlet port for connection to the receptacle, said valve body having a lateral passage communicating with the longitudinal passage and forming an outlet port for connection to a vacuum source to create a vacuum in the receptacle to draw the fluid material into thereceptacle, said outlet port being in communication with the inlet port;

a valve member slidably mounted in the longitudinal passage and movable axially towards the inlet port from a first open position to admit air from the vent port to the inlet port to a second closed position to cutoff the vent port,

said valve member extending through the inlet port in a position to lie in the path of inflow of the fluid material into the receptacle when the inlet port is connected to the receptacle,

whereby when a vacuum exists in the receptacle with the inlet port of the valve body connected to the receptacle a pressure differential exists across the valve member to urge the valve member towards its second position, and

whereby the fluid material flowing into the receptacle moves the valve member from its second closed position to its first open position when a predetermined amount of the fluid material enters the receptacle;

means to exert a force less than the force of the pressure differential to urge the valve member towards its first open position whereby the valve member normally seeks its first open position but remains in its second closed position if it is in the second closed position while a vacuum exists in the receptacle; and

support means to hold the valve body in position for connection with the receptacle and for manipulation of the valve member to initiate flow of the fluid material into the receptacle.

18. A combination as set forth in claim 17 in which the support means is contractible to cause the valve member to shift from its first position to its second position to initiate flow of the fluid material into the receptacle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,892,519 12/ 1932 Schottgen 222389 X 1,926,399 9/1933 Nielsen 222389 X 2,081,651 5/1937 Tamminga et a1. 141-59 2,393,217 1/1946 Brewton 222386 X 2,490,303 12/1949 Houck 222386 X 2,527,849 10/1950 Ranney 141--59 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR ATTACHMENT TO A VACUUM PUMP TO CREATE A VACUUM IN A RECEPTACLE, FOR EXAMPLE A DISPENSING CARTRIDGE, TO FORCE FLUID MATERIAL FROM A SUPPLY INTO THE RECEPTACLE, THE COMBINATION OF: A VALVE BODY HAVING A VENT PORT COMMUNICATING WITH THE ATMOSPHERE, AN OUTLET PORT FOR CONNECTION TO A VACUUM SOURCE, AND AN INLET PORT FOR CONNECTION WITH THE RECEPTACLE FOR COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE RECEPTACLE; A VALVE MEMBER IN THE VALVE BLDY MOVABLE TO A NORMAL FIRST POSITION TO OPEN THE VENT PORT AND A SECOND POSITION TO CLOSE THE VENT PORT, SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING A FIRST END EXPOSED TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND A SECOND END EXTENDING THROUGH THE INLET PORT; AND MEANS TO APPLY A PREDETERMINED FORCE TO THE VALVE MEMBER TO BIAS THE VALVE MEMBER TOWARDS ITS FIRST POSITION WHEREBY A VACUUM IN THE RECEPTACLE MAY CREATE A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACROSS THE VALVE MEMBER OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO OVERCOME SAID FORCE TO URGE THE VALVE MEMBER TOWARDS ITS SECOND POSITION, SAID SECOND END OF THE VALVE MEMBER BEING POSITIONED TO EXTEND INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE RECEPTACLE INTO THE PATH OF INFLOW OF THE FLUID MATERIAL FROM THE SUPPLY 